Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of German Application No. 100 30 335.8 filed Jun. 27, 2000. Applicants also claim priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7120 of PCT/DE01/02175 filed Jun. 12, 2001. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.
The invention relates to a tube arrangement that comprises a tube made of a polymer material. In particular, said tube is provided with an embedded reinforcement, whereby at least one end of the tube is pushed over a short connection pipe made of metal or plastic, and whereby the end of the tube is pressed onto the short connection pipe by a pipe clamp, in particular by a screw clamp.
A tube arrangement of the present type is widely employed especially in the field of motor vehicle building. The short pipe may be a part of an aggregate (cylinder head, water pump, cooler etc.). A short motor vehicle aggregate pipe is described, for example in published patent document EP 0 367 136 B1.
A short pipe may be also a T-shaped structural part on which three tube segments are mounted. Reference is made in this regard to published patent document DE 33 36 940 C2.
However, no solution has been available to this date in connection with which pipe clamps, in particular screw clamps can be mounted in the opened condition on the end of the tube in a manner securing it in its position and against rotation.
Now, the problem of the invention against the background of said problems is to pre-mount the opened pipe clamp on the end of the hose in a defined manner and in a way it cannot be lost; to assure the clamp is installed in such a way that is secured against rotation; as well as to simplify the installation of the clamp in places that are difficult to access. Furthermore, the aim is that the installation of the clamp is not depending on any structural part.
The problem is solved in that the end of the tube is provided with a retaining sleeve made of polymer material and mounted on said end, whereby the retaining sleeve comprises within the framework of a single-piece molded part the following structural components:
A retainer ring with an inside diameter Dl that grips around the end of the hose with an outside diameter D;
an element for receiving the clamp in the form of two axially extending retaining elements, which each are connected with the retainer ring via one of their ends; as well as
a retaining sleeve located at the other end of each retaining element.
Useful further developments of the tube arrangement as defined by the invention are also specified below.